While it may not be as famous as Godzilla or even Gamera here in the U.S., Ultraman is a huge franchise in Japan. Appearing first on television way back in 1966, Ultraman: A Special Effect Fantasy Series told the story of the Earth-protecting body Science Special Search Party and its member Hayato who could transform into the towering giant Ultraman to fight off alien threats. A huge success, that original series spawned dozens of sequels and films in the “Ultra” series, culminating in last year’s Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend The Movie. In that film the entire Ultraman army is confronted by the evil Ultraman Belial, the latest addition to Bandai and Tamashii Nation’s Ultra-Act series!

The Ultraman Ultra-Act figures share a common packaging design scheme, and it’s very cool. Ultraman Belial comes in a sturdy black window box. While the figure is visible through the window on the left side of the front panel, your eyes will be drawn to the right where there’s an awesome profile shot of the monster made up of an almost mosaic pattern. Below the figure is his name and that of the line.

The back panel of the box has seven photographs of the Belial figure in action and that’s about it. Overall the package is very sleek and sophisticated. Inside the contents are all held securely in a plastic tray, with no twisty ties!

A twisted version of the Ultras, Belial was corrupted by the power of the Plasma Spark and sought to overthrow the Land of Light. Thought locked away forever in an inescapable prison, Belial nevertheless broke out and caused havoc by resurrecting 100 Ultra Monsters to fight the heroic Ultra Warriors. In their most powerful form as the composite giant Beryudora, the monsters were led by Belial as its very brain! Only with every hero working together was the menace defeated, but in the end Belial was seen to have survived. In fact, he’ll return to the big screen as Galactic Emperor Kaiser Belial next month in Japan in Ultraman Zero the Movie: Super Deciding Fight!

The various heroic Ultraman characters are all pretty similar in appearance – giant aliens in red and silver armor with variously decorated silver helmets and yellow eyes. Ultraman Belial, being an “evil” version, takes things to another level. It’s pretty easy to see the “Ultra” beneath the evil, but it’s definitely been corrupted. Belial’s body is two-tone in red and black with an almost tattoo-like pattern making it hard to tell if he’s red on black or black on red. He’s a pretty standard humanoid creature though he does have wicked claws and a fin running down the top of his back. Belial’s head resembles a metal helmet like the other Ultramen.

The sculpt on the 6 ¾ inch Ultraman Belial figure is very good, and gets even better the closer you look. At first glance he looks like he’s simply wearing a full body skintight suit. Up close, however, you can see the level of detail is much more extreme. The villain has solid musculature, but even more impressive is the intricate almost flesh-like texture. There are also deeply scored lines at the borders of the two colors that bring out the interesting pattern. At the center of Belial’s chest is a bright purple jewel. Where Ultraman has bright silver, Belial’s hands and head are a dark burnished metallic gray, while his eyes are translucent yellow.

Bandai’s figures are known for their articulation and accessories, and Ultraman Belial doesn’t disappoint in either category. The evil monster has joints at the toes, ball-jointed ankles, double-jointed knees, ball-jointed hips, ball-jointed waist, ball-jointed torso, double ball-jointed shoulders, biceps, double-jointed elbows, ball-jointed wrists, ball-jointed lower neck, hinged upper neck, and an opening mouth that reveals shark-like teeth! With all of that Belial can get into all sorts of cool poses on his own, but it’s really his array of weapons that puts him over the top.

Packaged with Ultraman Belial are a pair of additional hands and parts to create multiple weapons. Heavy bludgeoning pieces connect to short and long poles to make a mace, staff, or scythe. There are three bludgeons: two are identical in gray and blue while the third is erupting in translucent yellow energy. That last piece fits perfectly with the two “effects” pieces, one of which creates an energy blast and the other a sweeping energy scythe so you can recreate his unique Belial Shot and Belial Death Scythe powers. Belial comes packaged with open fist hands that hold the poles easily, while the alternate hands have his brutal claws outstretched on articulated fingers!

Whether you’re a hardcore Ultraman fan up on the latest releases or a collector of cool 6 inch scale or Japanese kaiju figures, Ultraman Belial is a lot of fun in a great package. His dynamic demonic/alien look makes him a great villain, and his articulation and accessories are top notch. He's is currently in-stock at HobbyLinkJapan.com and BigBadToyStore.com and for under $40, he’s a great deal. Go get yours!